1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector with board locks for reliably and conveniently positioning the connector on a circuit board.
2. Description of Related Art
In circuit board mounted electrical connectors, positioning means is typically provided for holding the connector on the board for facilitating terminal soldering. U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,371 discloses an electrical connector comprising an insulative housing and a pair of metal board locks attached to the housing. Each board lock is stamped from a metal blank and includes a body portion fixed to the housing and a pair of spaced legs with outward barbs. Before terminals of the connector are subject to a soldering process, the board locks are inserted into corresponding through holes defined in a circuit board for positioning the connector on the circuit board.
When the board locks are inserted into the through holes of the circuit board, the spaced legs are compressed to deflect inwardly toward each other. The spaced legs then restore to their original configuration, whereby the barbs latch beneath a bottom face of the circuit board. However, since the board locks and the housing are individually made, additional manufacturing and assembly processes are required, thereby increasing the production cost.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,314 discloses an electrical connector which provides a pair of board locks integrally extending from an insulative housing thereof for insertion into corresponding through holes defined in a circuit board. Each board lock is bifurcated to define a pair of legs separated by an axial slit. The legs have latching surfaces for engaging with a bottom face of the circuit board when the board locks are completely inserted into the through holes of the circuit board. However, because the board lock is inserted into the through hole via its inherent flexible characteristic, a long-term use of the connector will cause plastic deformation of the board lock and this deformation can never resume. As a result, the connector may be unreliably positioned on the circuit board.
Hence, an electrical connector with improved board locks is required to overcome the disadvantages of the related art.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with improved board locks for conveniently and reliably positioning the connector on a circuit board.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with improved board locks which can be ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) inserted into and ZIF pulled from corresponding through holes of a circuit board.
In order to achieve the objects set forth, an electrical connector with a pair of board locks in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing having a mounting face, a plurality of terminals retained in the housing for electrically connecting with a circuit board, and a pair of board locks downwardly extending from opposite ends of the housing. Each board lock includes a connecting portion integrally connecting with the mounting face of the housing, a hook formed at a free end of the connecting portion for engaging with a bottom face of the circuit board, and a rib projecting from the connecting portion in a direction opposite to the extending direction of a free end of the hook for abutting against an inner wall of a corresponding through hole defined in the circuit board. When the connector is mounted on the circuit board, the connector is first placed in an inclined manner relative to the circuit board to allow ZIF insertion of the board locks into the through holes. The connector is then pushed to arrive at a position where the mounting face of the housing is parallel to the circuit board. During the pushing process, because a horizontal distance xe2x80x9cL1xe2x80x9d between the free end of the hook and an outer side of the rib is larger than a horizontal dimension xe2x80x9cL2xe2x80x9d of the through hole, the rib of each board lock abuts against an inner wall of the through hole to enable the hook to engage with the bottom face of the circuit board, whereby the connector is reliably positioned on the circuit board.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.